A 17-month-old baby boy suffered horrifying burns at a New York City Applebee’s restaurant on Friday, after a scorching hot cup of water scalded him while out to dinner with his family. 

According to NY Daily News, toddler Cadien Scott Gaffney picked up the cup of hot water placed on the restaurant table by a server. Seconds later the steaming water apparently splashed the baby’s body.

“The baby grabbed for the water,” Courtnei Patterson, a close family friend, told the newspaper. “He thought the water was for him. He grabbed the glass and the hot water — the scalding hot water — fell all over his chest, his legs, everything.”

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Patterson explained that the staff gathered paper towels and ointment, but waited over 20 minutes before they called 911.  Customers of the Queens establishment reportedly witnessed the incident and spoke out. Staff members then called for help, according to Patterson.

“Everybody was just standing there, looking around trying to figure out what to do next,” she stated. “No one called 911 right away.”

Photos of the boy offer a glimpse of how horrific the injury appears to be, which NY Daily News described as “apparently searing his top layer of skin away.” While Patterson said the family hasn’t been contacted by the company, restaurant spokesperson Brian Lowe released a statement on Wednesday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and child during this difficult time. We are very saddened about this accident. The safety and security of our guests is always our top priority. We are working closely with authorities and will continue to fully cooperate with their investigation.”

The family friend said the baby boy was left visibly traumatized by the experience.

“This is about to be a long journey for this little baby,” Patterson explained.

“It’s hard. One minute, he’ll forget what’s going on. He tries to play, because, you know, there are other children. The next thing, he’s screaming bloody murder because he’s in so much pain. It hurts me. It hurts me so bad just to see that baby in that condition.”

The family’s lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, indicated there’s a pending lawsuit into the matter.  

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[Feature photo: Cadien Scott Gaffney/family handout]